Riding for the Brand (Ss) (1986) Read Online Free PDF

know"... Seever said, "is where you got them guns?" Walt said, holding up a hand to stop the other man.
    "Out of the wagon, of course! The men you sent to stop Latch before he got here messed up.
    I'd just gotten away from a passel of Indians and was stark naked. I found clothes in the wagon. I also found the guns."
    "About like I figured. Now we'll get rid of you, an' I'll have Casa Grande."
    Jed was poised for a break, any kind of a break, and stalling for time. "Thieves like you always overlook important things. The men you sent messed up badly. They were in too much of a hurry and didn't burn the wagon. And what about Arden?"
    Jed had come a step nearer. They would get him, but he was going to kill Walt Seever.
    He chuckled. "They missed her, Walt! Arden is a girl. She was with Latch when he was killed."
    "A girl?" Seever turned on the other man.
    "Clark, you never said anything about a girl!"
    "There wasn't any girl"... Clark protested.
    "He killed three of them, but she was out on the prairie to gather wild onions or something."
    "That's a lie! There was only the three of them"... Clark shouted.
    "What about those fancy clothes you threw around in the wagon? Think they were old woman's clothes?"
    Walt was furious. "Damn you, Clark! You said you got all of them!"
    "There wasn't no girl"... Clark protested.
    "Anyway, I didn't see one!"
    "There was a girl, Walt, and she's safe.
    If something goes wrong here you will have to answer for it, Walt. You haven't a chance!"
    Seever's face was ugly with anger. "Anyway, we've got you! We've got you dead to rights"... His hand moved toward his gun, but before Jed Asbury could move a muscle, there was a shot.
    From behind Jed came Pat Flood's voice.
    "Keep your hands away from those guns, Walt. I can shoot the buttons off your shirt with this here rifle, and in case that ain't enough I got me a scattergun right beside me. Now you gents just unbuckle your belts, real easy now! You first, Seever!" The men shed their guns. "Now get hosses"... Flood ordered.
    They dismounted and Flood asked, "What you want done with "em. Boss? Should we bury them here or give them a runnin" chance?"
    "Let them walk back to town"... Jed suggested.
    "All but Clark. I want to talk to Clark."
    Seever started to speak, but the buffalo gun and the shotgun were persuasive. He led the way.
    "Let me go"... Clark begged. "They'll kill me!"
    Jed gathered the gun belts and walked to the blacksmith shop, behind Clark.
    "How much did you hear?" He asked Flood.
    "All of it"... The big blacksmith replied bluntly, but my memory can be mighty poor. I judge a man by the way he handles himself, and you've been ridin' for the brand. I ain't interested in anything else."
    Jed turned on Clark. "Get this straight.
    You've one chance to live, and you shouldn't have that.
    Tell us what happened, who sent you and what you did."... He glanced at Flood. "Take this down, every word."
    "I got paper and pencil"... Flood said. "I always keep a log."
    "All right, Clark, a complete confession and you get your horse and a running start."
    "Seever will kill me."
    "Make your choice. You sign a confession or hind a runaway horse. Seever's not going to kill anybody, ever again."
    Clark hesitated, and then he said, "I was broke in Ogden when Seever found me. I'd knowed him before. He told me I was to find this here wagon that was startin' west from St. Louis. He said I was to make sure they never got here. I never knew there was a woman along."
    "Who was with you?"
    "Feller named Quinby and a friend of his'n named Buck Stanton. I met up with "em in Laramie."
    At Jed's exclamation, Flood glanced at him.
    "You know them?"
    "I killed Buck's brother Cal. They were crooked gamblers."
    "Then you were the man they were huntin"!"
    Clark exclaimed.
    "Where are they now?"
    "Comin' this way, I suppose. Seever sent for "em for some reason. Guess he figured they could come in here and prove you was somebody different than you said."
    "Seever ordered the